IP Library Granted Patent US 10,250,567
Granted Patent B2
US 10,250,567 · App. 15/437,939 · Granted Apr 2, 2019

Communication system, wireless communication apparatus, and communication method

Inventors: Tomoko Adachi (Urayasu, JP); Kiyoshi Toshimitsu (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
H04L63/04H04L9/14H04L63/0428H04L63/0464H04L63/105H04W4/06H04W12/02H04W12/08H04W28/18H04W76/10H04L12/189H04L2209/80H04W88/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,250,567
App. No.
15/437,939
Granted
Apr 2, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wireless communication circuit includes a receiver to receive at least one of a beacon frame and a probe response frame from a first wireless communication apparatus belonging to a first communication group, at least one of the beacon frame and the probe response frame including first security information indicating a first encryption method. The circuit includes a transmitter to transmit an association request frame to the first wireless communication apparatus, the association request frame including second security information indicating a second encryption method which is supported by the wireless communication circuit, after a determination that the second encryption method overlaps with the first encryption method. The transmitter declines to associate with the first wireless communication apparatus if the first encryption method fails to overlap with the second encryption method. The transmitter transmits a data frame including a frame body after a reception of an association response frame.

Claims (47)

1. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a receiver that receives a beacon frame from a first wireless communication apparatus belonging to a basic service set (BSS), the beacon frame including a value indicating a first encryption method, the first encryption method used by the BSS to protect at least one of a broadcast or a multicast, wherein the wireless communication apparatus supports a second encryption method; and

a transmitter that:

transmits an association request frame, to establish a connection with the first wireless communication apparatus, to the first wireless communication apparatus prior to completion of establishment of the connection with the first wireless communication apparatus, the association request frame including a value indicating the second encryption method, if the second encryption method is equal to the first encryption method,

declines to establish the connection with the first wireless communication apparatus, if the second encryption method is not equal to the first encryption method, and

transmits a data frame including a frame body, the frame body including data encrypted by the second encryption method, after a reception of an association response frame including a status code that indicates success of the connection with the first wireless communication apparatus,

wherein the association request frame includes a frame control field and a frame body, the frame body includes the second value, the frame control field includes a type field, and the type field includes a value indicating that the association request frame is classified as a management frame.

2. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first encryption method is based on one of a first encryption algorithm having a first encryption strength and the first encryption algorithm having a second encryption strength different from the first encryption strength, and the second encryption method is based on one of the first encryption algorithm having the first encryption strength and the first encryption algorithm having the second encryption strength.

3. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second encryption method is the highest encryption strength in a plurality of encryption methods which are supported by the wireless communication apparatus.

4. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the association response frame includes an address indicating the BSS.

5. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the frame control field further includes a protected frame field, and the protected frame field includes a value indicating whether the frame body includes encrypted data.

6. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second encryption method is different from Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP).

7. A wireless communication system comprising:

an antenna; and

a wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver of the wireless communication apparatus receives one of the beacon frame and the probe response frame through the antenna, and the transmitter of the wireless communication apparatus transmits the first association request frame and the data frame through the antenna.

8. A wireless communication system comprising:

a processor;

a wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 ; and

an antenna, wherein the processor receives information included in one of the beacon frame and the probe response frame by using both the receiver of the wireless communication apparatus and the antenna, and the processor transmits information to be included in the association request frame by using both the transmitter of the wireless communication apparatus and the antenna.

9. A wireless communication system comprising:

an antenna;

a processor; and

a wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor transmits first information to be included in the data frame by using both the transmitter of the wireless communication apparatus and the antenna, the processor receives second information included in a second data frame from the first wireless communication apparatus by using both the receiver of the wireless communication apparatus and the antenna.

10. The wireless communication system according to claim 9 , wherein a type of the second information is either one of a video type, an audio type, or a text type, and the processor performs a process for the second information according to the type of the second information.

11. The wireless communication system according to claim 9 , further comprising: a display, wherein the processor displays at least part of the second information on the display.

12. The wireless communication system according to claim 9 , further comprising: a wired network interface, wherein the processor coupled to the wired network interface, and the processor receives third information via the wired network interface.

13. The wireless communication system according to claim 12 , wherein the processor generates fourth information based on the third information, and the processor transmits the fourth information to be included in a data frame by using both the transmitter of the wireless communication apparatus and the antenna.

14. A wireless communication method comprising:

receiving, by a receiver, a beacon frame from a first wireless communication apparatus belonging to a basic service set (BSS), the beacon frame including a value indicating a first encryption method, the first encryption method used by the BSS to protect at least one of a broadcast or a multicast, wherein the wireless communication apparatus supports a second encryption method;

transmitting, by a transmitter, an association request frame, to establish a connection with the first wireless communication apparatus, to the first wireless communication apparatus prior to completion of establishment of the connection with the first wireless communication apparatus, the association request frame including a value indicating the second encryption method, if the second encryption method is equal to the first encryption method;

declining, by the transmitter, to establish the connection with the first wireless communication apparatus, if the second encryption method is not equal to the first encryption method; and

transmitting, by the transmitter, a data frame including a frame body, the frame body including data encrypted by the second encryption method, after a reception of an association response frame including a status code that indicates success of the connection with the first wireless communication apparatus,

wherein the association request frame includes a frame control field and a frame body, the frame body includes the second value, the frame control field includes a type field, and the type field includes a value indicating that the association request frame is classified as a management frame.

15. The communication method of claim 14 , wherein the first encryption method is based on one of a first encryption algorithm having a first encryption strength and the first encryption algorithm having a second encryption strength different from the first encryption strength, and the second encryption method is based on one of the first encryption algorithm having the first encryption strength and the first encryption algorithm having the second encryption strength.

16. The communication method of claim 14 , wherein the second encryption method is the highest encryption strength in a plurality of encryption methods which are supported by the wireless communication apparatus.

17. The communication method of claim 14 , wherein the association response frame includes an address indicating the BSS.

18. The communication method of claim 14 , wherein the frame control field further includes a protected frame field, and the protected frame field includes a value indicating whether the frame body includes encrypted data.

19. The communication method of claim 14 , wherein the second encryption method is different from Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP).

20. The communication method of claim 14 , wherein the receiver receives one of the beacon frame and the probe response frame through an antenna, and the transmitter transmits the first association request frame and the data frame through the antenna.

21. The communication method of claim 14 , wherein a processor receives information included in one of the beacon frame and the probe response frame by using both the receiver and an antenna, and the processor transmits information to be included in the association request frame by using both the transmitter and the antenna.

22. The communication method of claim 14 , wherein a processor transmits first information to be included in the data frame by using both the transmitter and an antenna, and the processor receives second information included in a second data frame from the first wireless communication apparatus by using both the receiver and the antenna.

23. The communication method of claim 22 , wherein a type of the second information is either one of a video type, an audio type, or a text type, and the processor performs a process for the second information according to the type of the second information.

24. The communication method of claim 22 , further comprising:

displaying, by the processor, at least part of the second information on a display.

25. The communication method of claim 22 , further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, third information via a wired network interface coupled to the processor.

26. The communication method of claim 25 , wherein the processor generates fourth information based on the third information, and the processor transmits the fourth information to be included in a data frame by using both the transmitter and the antenna.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 24, 2021
From: TOSHIBA CORPORATION
To: PALMIRA WIRELESS AG
Reel/Frame 058899/0686 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2001-395475 · Dec 26, 2001 · national
Continuity (8)
Continuation 15402737 · Jan 10, 2017
Continuation 14314337 · Jun 25, 2014
Continuation 13437560 · Apr 2, 2012
Continuation 12875251 · Sep 3, 2010
Continuation 12397630 · Mar 4, 2009
Division 11837389 · Aug 10, 2007
Continuation 10327193 · Dec 24, 2002
Related Publication 20170163612A1 · Jun 8, 2017